Electric railway-signal.



No. 799,704. PATENTED SEPT. 19, 1905.

J. BARTL.

ELECTRICv RAILWAY SIGNAL.

APPLICATION mum FEB.26,1'04.

cu w I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH BARTL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY- SIGNAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 19, 1905.

Application filed February 26, 1904. Serial No. 195,401.

trains, locomotives, or carswhich formapart thereof, and particularly to the construction and arrangement of the rails and devices for giving such signals to a plurality of locomo-- tives or cars, as will more fully hereinafter appear.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a movable train, car, or locomotive which forms a part thereof, with a simple.

economical, and eflicient railway-signal that will notify the occupant of such train, 860., as to whether there is another train, locomotive, or car on the same block, all of which will more fully hereinafter appear.

The invention consists principally in an electric railway-signal of the class referred to in which there are combined a plurality of con tinuous and discontinuous rails or bars preferably located between the usual railwaytracks, a car provided with a source of electric current, a signaling device, a plurality of contacts arranged to contact the plurality of rails referred to, and an electric circuit embracing such. contacts, battery, and signaling ments 1 have only illustrated and described that which I consider to be new, taken in connection with so much as is old as is necessary to properly disclose the invention to others and enable those skilled in the art to practice the same, leaving out of consideration other and well-known elements which if set forth herein would only tend to confusion, prolixity,

ing apparatus in accordance with these improvements I provide the usual track con sisting of two railway-rails a, and preferably between these rails I lay or arrange the contact-rails formed of a centrally-located con tinuous contact rail or bar 6 and two sets of discontinuous contact rails or bars 0 and 0?, one set at each side thereof. All of these contactrails, as above set forth, are arranged substantiall y centrally between the rails that go to .form'the usual track and may be formed, as

shown in the drawing, of railway iron or steel, though it will be understood that they may be of any desired or usual shape. As above suggested the central contact-rail is continuous while the other two-contact-rails are discontinuous-that is, the disconnected adjacent ends of such discontinuous rails form spaces 6, bearing a staggered relation to each other, so that when taken in connection with the central continuous rail form two blocks, as will more fully hereinafter appear.

A movable car is provided and carries a storage battery f for generating current to operate the signaling devicesnamely, a bell g or an incandescent lamp h, or both, three contact-rolls 2', j, and It, arranged to contact the continuous and discontinuous contact-rails, and an electric circuit embracing said storage battery, signaling devices, and contact-rolls.

The construction and arrangement is such that when but one movable car 1 is on a block the signaling devices therein do not operate; but when a second car or locomotive 2 enters such block the devices operate as follows: Current passes from storage battery f, (of train 1,) through wire 3, to roll 1', thence through the central contact-rail b to roll 1' on train 2, thence through Wire 3 in said car through battery f, thence through wire 4 through the signaling devices 9 and 7a, thence by wires 5 and 6 and contact-roll is to the discontinuous rail 0, thence through contact-roll is on train 1, thence through wires 6 and 5 to signaling devices g and it and back by wire 4 to battery f. The trains are supposed to be moving in the direction indicated by the arrow in the drawing and to be on one block of the system. Should either train pass off of such block either to the left or right of the drawing, the circuit between the same would be broken and the signaling device cease'opcrating.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the staggering of the discontinuous rails prevents cars approaching within predetermined IIO distances of each other without giving-a signal, all of which is of the utmost importance.

Of course it will be understood that a car instead of carrying a separate circuit of batteries, signals, 620., may carry three rolls in electric connection with each other and in contact with the continuous and discontinuous rails, so as to complete a circuit and give a signal to any other car upon the same block and system, all of which will be understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art.

I claim- 1. In an electric railway signaling device 01. the class described, the combination of a'continuous electric conductor and a plurality of discontinuous electric conductors all disconnected and insulated from each other extending longitudinally ofa railWay-track'all independent'of and separate from the railwaytrack rails, and a source of electriccurrent located upon a railway-vehicle and having one pole connected with the continuous conductor only and'the other'pole'connected with both discontinuous conductors only, substantially as described.

2. In an electric rail-way signaling device of the class described, the'combination of'a continuouselectric conductor and a plurality of discontinuous electric conductors all disconnected and insulated from'each other extending longitudinally between the rails of-a railway-track all independent of and separate from such railway-track rails, an electric battery located upon a railway vehicle and having one pole connected with the continuous conductor only and the other pole connected with both discontinuous conductors only, and a signaling member mounted upon such vehicle connected and embraced within the electric circuit, substantially as described.

' 3. In an electric railway signaling device of the class described,'the combination of a'continuous electric conductor and a plurality of discontinuous electric conductors all discon= nected and insulated from each other and extending longitudinally of a railway-track all independent of and separate from the railwaytrack rails, electric batteries mounted upon railway-vehicles and each having one pole connected with the continuous conductor only and the other pole connected with both discontinuous conductors only all forming an electric circuit, and signaling members connected and embracedwithin the electric circuit, substantially as described.

4. In an electric railway-signal of the class described, the combination of a-centrally-locatedcontinuous-rail or bar, two sets of discontinuous rails or bars one arranged at each side of the con'tinuous'railall disconnected and insulated from eachother and located between the usual railway-tracks, a movable car provided with 'an'electric battery forgenerating current, signaling devices, three contact-rolls arranged 'to contact thecontinuous and discontinuous rails, and an electric circuit'embracing electric battery, signaling devices and "contact-rolls, substantiallyas described.

5. In an electric railway-signal of the class described, thecombinationof a centrally-located continuousrail or bar, two sets of discontinuous rails or bars arranged at each side of the continuous rail or bar and in staggered relation all disconnected and insulated from each other, a movable car provided with an electric battery for generating current, a signaling device, threecontact-rolls one for each of the continuous and sets of discontinuous 'bars,a'nd an electriccircuit embracing the electric battery, signaling device and contact-rolls, substantially as'described.

JOSEPH 'BARTL.

Witnesses:

THoMAs 'F. SHERIDAN, ANNIE G. OOURTENAY. 

